North Korea Expels Defector US Soldier Unconditionally... Transferred to US via China and South Korea

US State Department: "Arriving in the US Within Hours"

North Korea expelled U.S. Army Private Travis King, who defected to the North in July, and it has been confirmed that Private King is being transported to the United States via Dandong, China, and Osan Air Base in South Korea. North Korea did not impose any conditions when expelling Private King to China.

U.S. soldier Travis King, who defected to North Korea last July and was later released [Image source=Yonhap News]

Matthew Miller, spokesperson for the U.S. Department of State, stated this during a briefing on the 27th (local time).

Private King was transported to Dandong that morning, where he met with Nicholas Burns, the U.S. Ambassador to China. Miller said it is presumed that King traveled by car from inside North Korea to Dandong. From Dandong, King boarded a State Department aircraft equipped with medical facilities and flew to Shenyang, China, then was transferred to the U.S. Department of Defense at the U.S. military base in Osan, South Korea.

Miller said, "Private King is en route to the United States and is expected to arrive within a few hours."

Private King stayed in North Korea for 71 days and underwent interrogation by North Korean authorities, but it is understood that his health is good enough to endure a long-distance flight immediately.

Miller commented on King's condition, saying, "Both his mental state and physical health are good," adding, "There may be additional information from those who were on the aircraft with him, but that information has not yet been shared."

When asked about the possibility that Private King was interrogated or mistreated while in North Korea, Miller said, "It is believed he was interrogated," noting that "this is consistent with North Korea's past practices regarding detainees."

According to The New York Times (NYT), Private King is expected to arrive in Texas, USA, late on the 27th or early on the 28th. He will then be transferred to a medical facility in San Antonio, Texas, for examination.

Private King defected while en route to face disciplinary action in the United States in July. During a tour of Panmunjom, he suddenly crossed into North Korea through the Joint Security Area (JSA). Subsequently, Swedish authorities mediated the expulsion process on behalf of U.S. interests, and North Korea recently conveyed to the U.S. its willingness to release Private King within the past few days. Since King is an active-duty soldier, he is expected to face disciplinary action upon arrival in the United States for his defection.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.